This is where I share whatever's on my mind about current events, cats, politics, the weather, cats, and other small talk.

Monday, January 6, 2014

The Facts About Climate Change

The level of carbon in the atmosphere reached 400 ppm last year, the highest it's been in 2.5 million years. It has increased at an exponential rate since the industrial revolution , when man first began to burn coal at a very high level. The level of coal usage continues to increase world wide, especially driven by China and the USA, plus we've added oil and gas. The average temperature of the earth has increased along the exact same curve as the carbon content of the air. These aren't opinions, but facts as documented by NASA [link], and every other credible scientific organization which has made actual measurements, and applied science. Our only possible hope for this planet is to stop all carbon emission immediately, and begin to research, develop and deploy technologies to help clean up our mess. The only scientific question left is, "Are we beyond the tipping point?" Have we already put so much carbon into the air that general warming, producing extremes of both hot and cold weather, and huge, violent storms will continue for decades now that we've tipped the immediate recovery point?"

These are my words, and are meant to be a synopsis of the attached study by NASA. These words of mine, and those in the report, are facts, not opinions, as substantiated by the data. It's not something I believe--it's something I understand.

I am so tired of people thinking that the right to have an opinion means they don't have to know anything about what they opine, nor do they need facts or data.

If I ask you what is your favorite color, you will most likely have a different opinion than the next person. And that is a wonderful feature of human life, we are allowed to do that, and neither is right or wrong. I don't like seafood, most likely you do. It's okay, there's enough different foods, and neither os us is right or wrong, we simply have different opinions.

If I tell you if you stick your hand in boiling water, and hold it for a while, you will be burned. That's not something about which you are allowed to have a different opinion. Go in your kitchen right now and try it if you don't "believe" me. We'll wait.